‘Absolutely phenomenal.’ Here’s how an 89-year-old hiker survived in the Idaho wilderness

Graham Hurley, CNN

(CNN) — Equipped pinch only 19 pounds of gear, 89-year-old Bing Olbum group disconnected connected what he intended to beryllium a five–day hiking trip.

Instead, Olbum recovered himself stranded for astir 10 days in over 4 cardinal acres of Salmon-Challis National Forest. It’s location to immoderate of nan astir rugged places successful nan state beyond Alaska, according to a section hunt and rescue coordinator.

Some of nan peaks and saddles Olbum passed done reached complete 8,000 feet arsenic he cleared much than 20 miles while traversing nan alpine forest.

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“The likelihood of anybody surviving that play of clip retired successful nan wilderness area is very unlikely,” said Custer County Search and Rescue Coordinator Lincoln Zollinger.

Searching by horseback, chopper and drones

On Aug. 1, Olbum ventured from nan Hunter Creek Trailhead successful east-central Idaho connected a backpacking trip. He was expected to get astatine his exit constituent successful nan McDonald Creek Area 5 days later, according to nan Custer County Sheriff’s Office.

Olbum was reported arsenic a missing personification days later connected Aug. 6, nan sheriff’s agency said.

The Custer County Search and Rescue squad began searching for him by onshore and air. Ground teams scanned nan wood for traces of Olbum, lasering successful connected imaginable trails connected which he could beryllium found.

The adjacent morning, nan Idaho National Guard and a backstage aviator lent their helicopters to thief pinch nan search, and nan Idaho National Laboratory parented drones to expanse done the forested mountains for signs of Olbum.

Despite nan extended effort, nan Custer County Search and Rescue squad “had zero traces of him for nan 5 days” they had been looking, Zollinger said.

Local residents of Custer County and nan surrounding area made up nan crushed hunt teams.

Locals near their jobs and commitments to thief pinch nan hunt for Olbum, as the Custer County Search and Rescue squad is wholly made up of volunteers, according to Zollinger.

“We’re still a really mini community,” Zollinger said, adding that he and others person spent their full lives here. “They say, ‘stay disconnected nan mountain,’ good we’re going anyways.”

And it was these organization members who yet brought Olbum home.

Locals prevention nan day

“We were getting fresh to discontinue our hunt and move it backmost complete to nan family to fto them look for (him),” Zollinger said, adding that nan chances of survivability were debased aft being retired location for truthful long.

Olbum’s daughter, Jennifer Olbum, posted his photograph and way representation connected Facebook Thursday asking for accusation and thief from hikers acquainted pinch nan area.

“For 2 days hunt and rescue person been incapable to find him which tells maine he is wounded aliases worse and incapable to laic retired a tarp for nan choppers to see,” she wrote.

Two days later, on the last evening of nan search, a group of section rescuers discovered Olbum’s camp, according to nan sheriff’s office.

After searching for Olbum successful nan surrounding areas, section residents connected horseback recovered him safe successful nan early greeting hours of Aug. 11.

According to Zollinger, Olbum was recovered virtually unscathed and was only mildly dehydrated and sore from nan sheer region he covered connected foot.

CNN reached retired to Olbum’s family, who confirmed he is doing well, but declined an interview.

The will to survive

That morning, nan Custer County Sheriff’s Office praised Olbum, saying his “will to past has resulted successful an unbelievably bully ending to this incident” successful a post connected Facebook.

Olbum had lightly packed for his backpacking trip. His only nutrient for nan excursion was beef jerky, salted nuts and iodine tablets to purify water, according to Zollinger. He besides packed a one-man tent, a broad and a pad to slumber on.

He did not person immoderate search devices connected him and only had a compass and a insubstantial representation for navigation.

Zollinger was amazed by Olbum’s will to survive, particularly aft learning he did so without making a fire. The temperatures successful nan wood up and down from nan 40s astatine nighttime to nan 90s during nan day.

“Just having truthful fewer supplies, 5 days worthy of food, stretching it retired that acold is conscionable amazing, successful everybody’s eyes,” Zollinger said. “We dealt a batch pinch nan Air Force rescue, and moreover they were amazed astatine nan result of this.”

Zollinger said pinch Olbum this week a mates of days aft he was recovered safe and asked him astir what kept him going.

Olbum said he believed he could past different 3 days retired successful nan wild, which Zollinger described arsenic “absolutely phenomenal.”

“The biggest point I spot successful him is his mindset,” Zollinger said. “And he said, ‘Well it was mostly my mind to support going, to support mounting goals and support moving forward.’”